Exerciser and reducer



Nov. 18, 1924.

E. W. KNOWLES RcIsER AND REDUCE Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES ETTA W. KNOWLES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXERCISER AND REDUCER.

Appflication filed March 7, 1924. Serial No. 697,452.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ETTA W. KNoWLEs, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, hasinvented new and useful Improvements in an Exerciser and Reducer, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to an exerciser and reducer andmore particularly to an arrangement whereby a group or groups offriction producing elements can be moved in contact with different partsof the body of the user to produce a massaging action.

The object of my invention broadly is to efiect a massaging action andmore particularly a reduction in weight by applying to any part of thebody a rapid intermittent pressure at a plurality of pointssimultaneously and to cause the points of pressure to shift rapidly.

It is one of the important objects of the present invention to attainthis by providing an exerciser and reducer in the form of a massagedevice in which are embodied a plurality of inelastic unyielding rubbingelements or members so arranged and associated as to provide a pluralityof spaced rubbing or massaging surfaces or points and wherein theserubbing elements or members are so associated as to have a maximum offlexibility without at the same time decreasing their massaging actionand as to be capable of readily conforming to the contour of the body,or of any port-ion thereof, and in which the massage elements are movedacross the body, or portion thereof, in frictional contact therewithwithout irritation.

More specifically my invention includes the provision of a plurality ofrotatable members, such as balls, mounted preferably in spaced groupsfor free rotation so that the outermost parts thereof can be positionedin a single plane which may be flat, curved or irregular, as desired, soas to permit of the plane in which all the outermost points are locatedto coincide or conform to the curves or contour of those parts of thebody in contact with which the device is to be manipulated.

One of the further objects of my invention is the provision of anarrangement whereby these rotatable members are of a character whichwill give the desired intermittent pressure without irritation and whichare so supported as to cause them to rotate freely and withoutappreciable wearing action.

My invention further involves the provision of an arrangement whereby adevice of the character set forth can be made efficiently, simply andeconomically and will serve the desired purposes effectively.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated an embodimentof my invention in the drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a top elevationalview of the illustrated embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a section taken on line 4lt of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a prospective view of a unit mounting.

Upon viewing the drawings, it will be observed that I here show thedevice as made up generally of a body portion and of gripping or handlemembers on opposite ends of the body portion. The body portion isprovided with rubbing elements, preferably in the form of rollers orballs 10 made of a wood to which a relatively high polish can be givenand which are of a character which will give rise to only such frictionas is incident to the rolling association of a ball in contact with thesurface and will not give rise to any irritation incident to theengagement of a rough or uneven surface with the body. These balls 10are preferably perforated and are mounted upon cross pins 12, 13, theillustrated embodiment having two balls arranged on each cross pin. Thecross pins are arranged in groups of two 12, 13, the opposite ends ofthe group of cross pins being fixedly mounted in the opposite ends ofthe corresponding members 1 1 and 15, making up a set. In this manner aunit construction of my device will include in the illustratedembodiment the oppositely positioned links 14 and 15 and the cross pins12 and 13 which serve to connect the links 14: and 15 to make up theunit. This unit will also include the balls mounted upon theaforementioned pins 12 and 13, two balls being shown in the illustratedembodiment. In Fig. 5 of the drawings I show sucha unit mounting.

The device as a whole may comprise as many units illustrated in 5 as maybe desired and as shown in the drawings these -units are connected byintermediate oppositely positioned links 17 and 18, each of which has anenlarged head at its opposite end so as to freely receive therethroughthe aforementioned pins 12 and 13 forming the part of the individualunits. In short, the construction thus far described comprises a seriesof these units made up as described and connected by the links 17 and 18so that by means of these links 17 and 18 the units can be movedrelatively to each other as desired. The mounting of the balls on thepins 12 and 13 and also of the connecting links 17 and 18-thereon issuchthat not only is a free movement of balls and of these links 17, 18,on-the pins 12 and 13 secured, but a slight universal movement will alsobe permitted.

In order to minimize the frictional asso ciation between the balls andthe supporting structure, I, in the first place, make the perforationthrough the balls much wider than the pins and in addition I associatewith the outer ends of the perforations, the metal members or washers 20of the character clearly shown in Fig. 1. These members 20, as shown,are in the form of tubular sections 21, preferably made of sheet metal,and are each providedwith the flange 22 arranged to conform in curvatureto the exterior surface of the balls and these members when in positionare each positioned so as to have the part 21 serve to line the passagethrough a ball for part of the length of this passage and to have theflange 22 serve to con tact with the outer surface of the ball. It willbe observed that the tubular sections 21 act as wear pieces and also aselements for, reducing fridtion as the balls rotate on the pins 12 and13 and that the flanges 22 serve similar purposes in connection with thecoa'ction of the outer surfaces of the balls 10 and the ends of thelinks 17 and 18.

From the description thus far given, it will be understood that I haveprovided an arrangement in which are a. plurality of groups of balls,two being illustrated in each group, the balls being mounted forfreerotation, and the groups of balls being so connected together andassociated that the whole construction can be made? to conform to thecontour of any portion of the body.

In the practical employment of my apparatus', the user grips thehandlemembers 25 and 26 and brings the intermediate rotating members orelements 10 in contact with that portion of the anatomy which is to bemassaged or treated and then by a to and fro motion with both handssimultaneously with the balls 10 in contact with the body, there isproduced not only a pressure upon the parts being treated but also aseries of intermittent taps and blows which while almost inappre'ciablein character as mass, are sufficient to produce" the aims? in View,namely, that of massaging and exerc'i's'ing with a consequent reductionin weight. t

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. A niassageor flesh kneading device comprisinghandle members atopposite ends thereof and an intermediate'body portion therebetween,said intermediate b'o'dy portion' coinprising a plurality of sectionsconnected by pairs of oppositely positioned links, each pair of linksbeing freely pivoted to opposite ends of adjacent sections and'thesections each comprising spaced piv o't pins connected at their oppositeends by links fixedly associated with the pins, and balls mounted forfree rotation on the pins, the links connecting the sections beingpositioned outside of the links fixed to the pins and resting 'o'm' ashoulder formed on said pins to relieve the links of frictional contactwith each other.

2. A massage or flesh kneading device comprising handle members atopposite ends thereof and an intermediate body portion therebetween,said intermediate body portioncomprising a'plurality of'sections' connected by pairs of oppositely positioned I links, each pair of linksbeing freely piv-' oted to opposite ends of adjacent sections,

the'se'ctions each comiprising' spaced pivot pins connected at theiropposite ends by links fixedly associated with the pins, and ballsmounted for-free rotation on the pins, and friction'meinber's carried bythe balls, said friction members comprising metal washers having tubularsections received within'the passages through the balls and flanges inc'ontact and'curved in conformit with the outer surface of the balls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

ETTA w. KNOWLES.

